The Lost Companion Chronicles: The Time Traveler
by Elizabeth L. Holme
Summary: She had known him since she was a little girl, but she had never met him. Three times she saw his box and on the fourth time she would begin an adventure that would test her faith and hope in him. An alien race has come to Washington DC to begin their invasion and for twenty three year old Alison Bane only one person, one hero, one man can save Earth. The Doctor is coming...
1. Chapter 1

**Please let me know what you guys think. Hope you enjoy it!**

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It happened when she was young. Ten year old Alison Bane was playing deep in the forest behind her grandmother's house when she had stumbled upon it. She had explored these woods countless times before and had never seen something like this. There was something ancient about it and at the same moment it was timeless. Young Alison had approached the mysterious apparition and with a shaking hand, touched its wooden sides. She gasped, a thrill of energy running through her all at once. The thing was humming, but that description wasn't quite right. No, it was more like the strange object was breathing.

There was a door there too, and despite Grandma Mary's warnings not to wander into strange places, Alison started to open it. Her fingers had barely wrapped around the silver handle when a shadow passed across a set of windows in the top of the door. She had ran then, the sound of the doors out of time creaking open behind her. No one called to her, no one tried to stop her, but they didn't need to. She had already fallen down the rabbit hole and this would not be the last time she would see it.

Five years had passed since that fateful day in the woods and in all that time no one believed her story. No one except her Great Uncle Canton. Living with her and Grandma Mary, Uncle Canton was there when Alison had ran out from the woods. Breathless and held in his arms, she had described what she saw and the older man remained silent. Staring at the tall trees, he had quietly put her down and left, following the direction she came from.

Uncle Canton had returned later that night, dispelling Grandma Mary's worry and went to his room. Alison followed soon after and found him staring out his window at the forest, a distant expression drawn across his weathered face. When she asked if he had found it, he shook his head. It wasn't his time yet. Uncle Canton then looked at her and sat down on his bed, thoughtfully scratching his beard.

"Do you want to hear a story, Alice?" he had asked and she nodded.

In the countless nights following he had told her stories of a man who travelled through time saving the world, never caring about himself, but only for the safety of others. The man was like the beginnings of a storm, quiet and mysterious, but always hinting at the power that has yet to be seen. His words were like fire, his rage like ice, and worlds trembled in fear of him. He protected anyone who cried for help and showed mercy to his enemies. Uncle Canton had travelled with him for a brief adventure back when he had worked with the President of the United States and the things he told her he said would never even scratch the surface.

"You can trust him, Alice." he would whisper to her after each story. "Whenever you're afraid, whenever you feel alone, you look to the stars and remember he is there...Watching us. The world will always be in danger, but as long as we have him we have our hope."

She saw it again in the cemetery during Uncle Canton's ceremony. Like always she had wandered off and was paying a visit to her parents. Alison had heard the strange wheezing breath from her past and looked up. There it stood, on a hill next to an autumn dressed tree. That was when she got her first real glance at him. A sad look, a ruffle of a jacket, and the retreating heel of a pair of tan loafers. Again no one said a word, but this time she did not run away. She stood and watched and promised on that day she would find him.

It would appear to her once more before it all began.

For five more years she spent her time researching him, finding the strange man in hundreds of history books. Every disaster, ever phenomenon, every plague he was there and he did not travel alone. Others were with him, companions traveling through time with him. He was everywhere and sometimes, sometimes his face would change, but she knew it was him. She could see it in his eyes, the years he had lived and a deep, aching sadness that never went away even when he smiled.

In the news she saw him, not in person, but in action. If an invasion were to hit Earth she did not fear it. Perhaps because a majority of invasions seemed to begin in England, but still she knew he was there to save them. When a wave of fire cleared the world of toxic gas from the cars she had stared up at the stars and smiled. She had watched a tenth of the world's population be destroyed and had remembered the words of a woman who had walked the earth when no one else could. Planets hung in the sky and the stars were briefly wiped out, strange angels lurked around corners, and people disappeared, but in the end Uncle Canton was right. In the end there was always hope.

A hospital had vanished the day Alison found it the third time during a trip to London. He was not there and the door was locked, but she didn't care. She had touched the place where her ten year old hand had first made contact. The humming breath grew stronger for just a moment, taking her breath away.

"Remember me?" she had asked. "I know you are there, protecting us. Thank you."

She had left when she heard running footsteps and vanished into a crowd of excited people. The hospital had returned and it was time for her to go home. It was time, as Grandma Mary told her, for Alison to start her life. An internship at a news press was waiting for her in Washington DC, one that would turn into a job. It was a steady, quiet job, something that would help pay for her college tuition, but it would end her research of the traveling man. Things were going to change and she was going to have to settle down. There was no choice in the matter. Her Grandma wanted her to move on.

Alison did move on, settling down in a corner apartment, making friends, and building her career. She moved on...at least on the outside, but deep down she never gave up on him. She still watched the stars and she never forgot the time traveller who saved the world in his blue box.


	2. Chapter 2

**Reviews are welcome.**

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The sky was grey in the early morning, rolling clouds passing above the centre of Washington DC. Trees whispered in a building wind, their branches rocking back and forth, loose leaves dancing in circles through the air. You could feel the tension building with the sticky humidity as headlights were turned on in traffic and umbrellas were opened along the side walks. A storm was coming.

The first drops of rain came when the sun rose above the horizon, briefly cutting a golden path across the city before disappearing into the clouds. Alison Bane wiped her face where a heavy drop ran a trail through the sweat on her brow. She pulled up the hood of her grey sweatshirt without pause and turned off Independence Ave. towards the Lincoln Memorial. The towering building bobbed in and out of sight in front of her, more often blocked by the line of trees on either side of her path.

_A Bittersweet Symphony_ was blaring in her ears, blocking out all surrounding distractions. It was just her and the melodic thumping of her feet against the cement. The same old Saturday had come again, bringing with it the same old schedule and routine. Ever since she moved to DC her life had become one long day of working, running, and living. It never changed, never got exciting. Sure the weather might change and there was the occasional night on the town with friends, but it wasn't what life use to be. The scary part was that she was becoming comfortable in this role. It had been three years since she had seen the blue box and she was okay with it, but it was a lie.

Rolling up her sleeves, Alison checked her time and cursed, picking up her pace. She was late.

The trees began to drop away, thinning out until the Lincoln Memorial loomed ahead. It stood like an ancient temple, Grecian pillars rising to surround the stone statue of the 16th President. Reaching a grassy corner just below its steps, she paused and gave the President a salute before moving on.

She could see her now, the bent over figure of Meg Mancy tying the laces of her sneakers. Grinning, Alison ran up to her friend and pulled up the girl's jacket hood over her strawberry pixie cut.

"On your left." she called, passing her. "Come on, Mancy. Time to wake up."

"This is my awake." Meg replied disgruntled. "Alice, why am I out here?"

Alison raced to the edge of the reflecting pool and turned to jog backwards, taking in Meg's dishevelled annoyance. Irritated, Meg yanked down her hood and smoothed a hand through her hair, giving Alison a rude gesture. Alison snorted in response and brought up fighting fists, dancing from foot to foot.

"Hey, you said you wanted to run with me." Alison told her. "Well, this is running with me."

Lacing her fingers above her head, Meg stretched out her back and lazily stepped down to the reflecting pool.

"I'm pretty sure I was drunk when I said that." she yawned. "Can we just skip this and get a cab? I'm hungry and it looks like its about to rain."

Alison stopped then and looked up into the sky, measuring the clouds that were steadily taking on a darker hue. The drops had turned into a sprinkle and she grinned, shaking her head. Looking at Meg sourly zipping up her coat, she clapped the girl on the shoulder and pushed her forward onto the trail.

"Where's your sense of adventure, Meg?" she asked, coaxing her into a jog.

"Back home, under the covers."

Alison frowned and then eyed the distant structure of the Washington Monument, an idea forming. Pointing it out, she began to pick up her pace, forcing her companion to follow.

"Tell you what," she said. "We race to the Monument and the last one there buys breakfast."

"Winner's choice?" questions Meg, mulling it over.

"Winner's choice." agrees Alison, offering her hand.

Chewing on her lip, Meg eyes the hand for a moment and then takes it. They give a firm shake and Meg yanks back, throwing Alison off balance. The pool rushes to meet her on the right and Alison tips before regaining her footing. Meg was already a hundred yards away, turning in mid run to give a salute and a wink. Panting at the close call with the water, Alison selected a Brand X track on her ipod and smirked. Finally, her friend was waking up and providing a decent challenge.

Briefly removing her hood, Alison pulled back her brown hair into a high ponytail and raced after the retreating back of her friend. It didn't take long for her to catch up, four years of running paying off against Meg's sporadic sprints. She passed the strawberry blond and laughed in response to the volley of insults and curses thrown her way. Whatever the outcome in their race, she was sure this would be the last with Meg.

The cement path trailing along next to the Reflecting Pool was empty save for the few others who chose to run despite the rain. Several 'on your lefts' were called out, whatever response swallowed by the pulsing beats of her music. This was her time, her moment to feel alive. It was the second best feeling in the world, running. The first being the moment she touched the blue box in the woods thirteen years prior. As far as she knew, she would never stop running.

She had reached the other end of the pool when something caused her to falter. A sound had reached past her ear buds, echoing all around her. It was a humming sound, a soft, mournful breathing that pulled at the strings of her past. She stopped and jerked her head around, searching for the source, her eyes landing on the Lincoln Memorial. It couldn't be.

Alison squinted, taking out her ear buds and listened. The breathing had stopped and left her feeling as if she had just woken from a dream. It was a sound out of time, having yet to be tethered to the Earth. Was he here? And if so, what else had come to her world?

Meg passed her with a gleeful shout, shattering the trance Alison was caught in. Disoriented, she looked around to watch her friend disappear around a corner. She was almost to the Washington Monument and Alison was about to buy her breakfast. Sighing in derision at her short distraction, Alison pushed off into a run, but her heart was no longer into it. She had heard it again, after so many years, and something was beginning to stir.

She rounded the corner and sprinted the rest of the way up a grassy hill to where a wooden stand was being set up around the towering monument. A ceremony was to be held the next day, celebrating the monument's 130th anniversary. Weather permitting it, some of the top officials would be gathered with hundreds of tourists all celebrating the event. Even Alison would be there, taking pictures for the Washington News Press. Sure it was a Sunday, but she didn't have anything else better to do.

Meg was splayed out on the ground several yards away from the construction crew, jacket thrown beside her, and short strands of hair plastered across her red face. She raised her head when Alison approached, thrusting up double peace signs in her victory.

"Smithsonian Deli." she gasped. "Strawberry waffles and whip cream...With bacon. Lots and lots of bacon."

Alison smiled and shook her head, bending down to help her up.

"Want anything to drink with that?"

"A gallon of water." was the reply as she stood up and tied her jacket around her waist. "And a pomegranate smoothie."

Meg ducked, the rain picking up around them as the nearby workers shouted to hold off construction.

"I'll go grab us a cab." she said. "The storm is coming in fast."

Alison lingered behind while the other girl jogged towards the nearby road, turning back to catch a glimpse of the Lincoln Memorial. It was where the clouds were the darkest and lightening played like blinding apparitions. Distant thunder rolled and with it she again thought she heard the breathing wheeze of the blue box. She was almost tempted to go look for it and even took a step towards the sounds general direction. Again it drifted away from her and she came to her senses. Those days were over, she tried to tell herself, you have moved on. She didn't believe herself though. She never did.

A harsh wind blew across her and the surrounding flags and banners for the ceremony snapped viciously. Holding her hood up around her face, she reluctantly turned and sprinted to where Meg had gotten them a cab. Meg slid into the back seat and told the driver their destination, scooting over for Alison to get in. Alison slammed the door shut against the wind and they started moving as she put away her ipod.

It was silent for a moment, the cab passing beneath heavy shadows of the bending threes above. The rain splattered in sporadic sheets across the windows and the windshield wipers squeaked on.

"What was holding you up back there?" Meg asked when the monument was far behind them.

Alison tore her gaze from the gloomy streets beyond her window and glanced at her friend with a shrug. "I was just watching the storm come in."

"It does seem pretty big this time." observed Meg. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I have." murmured Alison softly, the humming sound filling her mind. "A long time ago."

They arrived shortly at the small Deli across from a series of Museums, shrugging against the deluge that had suddenly broken over the city. Paying the driver, they entered with several others looking to escape the rain and were ushered to a table by a smiling hostess. Sitting with twin sighs of relief, they ordered their drinks and perused the menu. Perhaps it could be said that Meg was more interested in the menu as Alison only gave it a couple of distracted glances. Her real focus was out the Deli's front window where a sea of umbrellas passed by. She couldn't get the sound out of her head.

When a waitress came back with their drinks she quickly ordered the same thing Meg asked for to avoid wasting anymore of their time. Taking her iced coke in both hands, she sipped at it and watched without seeing the waitress take their menus away. Silence held the table captive and Meg awkwardly stirred around her smoothie, casting confused glances towards her friend. Reaching the end of her drink without a single word being spoken, the other girl snapped her fingers in front of Alison's nose.

"Hello?" she asked when Alison wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "Are you awake in there?"

Alison waved off her hand and sat back, regaining her focus with some difficulty.

"Yeah, I'm awake." she sighed. "I was just distracted."

"For ten minutes?" wondered Meg, unconvinced. "Look half an hour ago you were challenging me to a race-"

She paused, the waitress coming back with their order of strawberry waffles and a side of bacon. After refilling their drinks, the waitress left and Meg began eating copious amounts of the steaming food.

"Then," she continued, swallowing her third mouthful. "Halfway through you stop and go all weird on me. Don't think I didn't notice, Alice."

Alison had yet to touch her food and had to again force herself to look away from the window. What was she expecting to see anyway? A strange man in a jacket and bow tie, traipsing down the street?

"I was just giving you a win, Mancy." said Alison. "After all you did come out to run with me.

Meg shook her head. "Alison Bane doesn't give anyone a win for anything. Hey, are you even listening?"

"I am."

"No, you're not." grumbles the other girl. "You're staring out the window."

Alison was and for a good reason. Something strange was happening with the rain. It was falling completely straight. Not only that, but the rain was no longer coming in drops but single bands of streaming water. Alison stiffened, straightening in her seat and ignoring Meg's frustrated harrumph.

"What is wrong with you, Bane?" questions Meg impatiently.

Slowly Alison stood to her feet and blindly prodded her friend, gesturing outside.

"Meg, the rain."

Others were beginning to notice now, deli customers coming to gather around the window and pushing against the girls. Those outside stopped what they were doing, umbrellas tilting up as they stared at the strange phenomenon. Meg's mouth hung open, caught before she could waspishly reply. Alison's heart skipped a beat and she knew. This was why he was here. Something was happening and they needed him.

Pushing through the crowd, Alison ran out onto the street where every car had stopped and stared at the sky. At that moment the rain ceased as if someone had turned off a faucet. Everywhere people were gazing at the clouds and for a second there was silence. A loud droning sound pierced the air, like a drawn out dubstep drumbeat. The purple and black clouds shifted and from their belly emerged the curved underside of a spaceship. It cleared the sky around it as more of the spaceships were revealed, hundreds of black spheres that cast the city in shadows. They were spreading out in all directions, surrounding them.

"What is going on?" gasped Meg coming out beside Alison.

Alison didn't reply and turned her gaze back towards the direction of the monuments. A ship's underside clipped a stone statue decorating a museum roof across the street, sending it down into the road. Someone screamed, triggering chaos around them. A mechanical sound was emitted from the nearest ship above them and a short burst of a laser hit the earth. The ground trembled and black smoke engulfed them as other ships began firing. They were being invaded.

She held her breath, the terror around her becoming contagious and momentarily keeping her frozen in place. Someone jostled her as they run past, the crowds all heading in a general direction: towards the centre of the city. They were trying to get out from under the fire, converging exactly where the ships were guiding them. For what purpose, Alison didn't know.

Alison turned and ran against the crowd, jumping over the hood of a car to avoid a laser blast.

"What are you doing?!" screamed Meg, holding against the oncoming rush.

"He's here." Alison shouts back. "He can save us!"

"If you're talking about that stupid story of a time traveller, _you are out of your mind! He doesn't exist!"_

Alison paused at the street corner and looked back at the grimy face of her friend pleading with her. Smoke drifted across the street and Meg was backlit against the chaos of the attack. She was torn. Just a block away she could see the lawn leading to the monuments, the roof of the Lincoln Memorial just peeking above the tree line. She was scared to leave her friend, but she knew he was here.

"They're invading us, Meg." yells Alison. "We are under attack which means he is nearby. He is always nearby and I'm going to find him."

"ALISON!"

It was too late. Alison had turned her back on Meg and was dodging through the streets, heading to where she had heard it coming. The time traveller and his blue box was here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Reviews are welcome. **

**Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the Doctor Who franchise. All following stories are completely separate. Thank you.**

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She could feel it before she had even reached the beginning of the reflecting pool. It stirred in her heart and her hand, the hand that had touched it, had flared in recognition. He was here.

Alison ran alongside the waters, amidst the storm of ships invading around her. The sky was black and a wind harsher than anything she had ever felt pulled at her clothes. People were screaming, crowds of them running from the monuments in the direction that the multitude of laser blasts guided them. She ran in the opposite direction, against the blasts, against the invasion, to the foot of the Lincoln Memorial.

Her heart was racing when she stopped on the edge of the lawn and she stared, scarcely believing what she saw. It was there. It was really there. After three years of leaving it in the past, the blue box had reappeared, right in the middle of a group of bushes.

Hope blossomed in her chest upon seeing it and she grabbed hold of it, feeling its warmth. The man who saved worlds had come to save hers like he always had, like he always would. Uncle Canton was right...He was right.

Something exploded behind her and she turned to see a cloud of smoke rise from the city. The sky was on fire now, splashes of red and orange dancing against the purple clouds. The spaceships were converging over the city's centre and they had left her behind. She was now alone. Clenching her fists, Alison sprinted for the blue time box and pushed through the thick brush to reach it. She pressed herself to the door and hammered on the wood, looking up at the set of windows in the top. Where was his shadow? Where was the Time Traveller?

"Hello?" she yelled to be heard over the chaos. "Are you in there? Please, we need your help. Can you hear me?"

She jumped back, the door swinging open with an ominous creak that resonated from the past. No one was there to greet her and the space beyond was dark, the lights having been turned out. She could hear the humming, quiet and resting, but at the same time beckoning to her. Tentatively Alison looked around for some sign of him and then entered.

The door closed behind her and a light sprung on. She stopped, dumbstruck by the sight now before her. There was a large room inside the box, a room far larger than what its outside could possibly contain. A sort of control hub stood in the middle where the humming came from, grand and majestic, a piece out of time. In the middle of the hub was a chamber with crystal like things idly running up and down, waiting. Balconies stretched around the perimeter and several stairs led further into the strange labyrinth. It was unlike anything she could have possibly imagined. Nothing Uncle Canton had described had even begun to reveal what the box really was.

_"A time machine,"_ he had said, _"With a whole world sitting on the inside."_

Alison backpedalled, turning to rush out the door and circle the exterior of the blue box. Even the invasion still looming around her could not bring her to focus and she ran her hands over the wooden sides, testing it. After passing around it several times, she re-entered the infinite room and took it all in again. Tears sprung to her eyes and she clapped a hand to her mouth with a gasp, finally remembering how to breathe properly again. It was unreal.

With several counts to ten, she regained herself for the time being and slowly approached the hub. The hub was something else entirely, its surface completely covered in hundreds of strange controls. She didn't dare touch any of them, fearful of the blinking lights and spinning measurements. Alison carefully travelled around the hub, staring at the controls and reading what she could on the different screens hanging above.

One screen in particular caught her attention and she paused to lean in for a better look. Four words blinked there, carrying a weight of sadness that Alison could not quite explain.

_Darillium, The Singing Towers_

The screen blinked off and she heard the doors on the opposite side of the hub swing open. Alison remained frozen where she was, not even daring to breathe. It was silent for a beat and then the doors closed again. Footsteps rang on the grated floors leading to the centre of the room, measured and gradually drawing near. She could see glances of him through the centre chamber; a tweed jacket, piercing eyes full of years, and a bow tie.

The footsteps stopped and Alison held her breath, for what reason she did not know. It had seemed that the moment when she was about to meet him all the stories of his rage suddenly surfaced. His anger and coldness, the lonely old man that sometimes tried to rule the very natures of the universe. She had forgotten in her search how dangerous he could be.

"Who's there?"

Alison flinched at his clear voice which sounded surprisingly young compared to the man she envisioned. He was also English, a fact that Uncle Canton had never mentioned. She did not answer and he quietly drew around the hub, looking for her. Almost out of instinct, Alison backed away in the opposite direction until they had completely switched positions. She could see him peering at her through the glass chamber and it made her heart jump into her throat.

"How did you get into my TARDIS?" he questioned.

"I-" her voice cracked and she stopped, clearing her throat.

Squaring her shoulders, she took a heavy breath and faced him.

"I just touched it." she said. "Well, I mean I knocked on the door. I didn't know it would open..."

Alison trailed off as the man had come around the corner when she was distracted with answering him. He stood there, one hand resting on the edge of the hub, floppy brown hair hanging above his eyes and a large chin carrying a deep frown. The aching sadness was there in his eyes, but that was all that was left in there. It was strange. His face was so young, one that matched a man in his twenties, but he was old. So very old that it made her feel like the world would collapse under his years.

The ancient young man stared at her for a moment, glancing at his hub as he moved his jaw in thought.

"You bring me here," he said, accusingly, "And you let people in when I have specifically said no one, _no one_ should be with me. Just once in your life time I wish you would listen to me and not bring me where I need to be."

"What are you talking about?" interrupted Alison. "We've only just met."

"I wasn't talking to you." he snapped at her, looking back to his hub. "Why am I here? What purpose do I have in this time?"

Alison looked between the Time Traveller and his hub at a loss for words. He was speaking to the machine as if it were alive, but maybe it was alive. She remembered the way it seemed to breathe and the energy that had attached itself to her hand. The man's question still hung in the air and she at last recalled the invasion happening outside.

"I know why you're here." she said, looking up suddenly.

He returned his full gaze to her and she stiffened as he came closer. They were a foot away when he stopped, an imposing man that seemed to tower over her five foot six frame. He was close enough to her that she could see into his eyes and there, in the very depths of his pupils, she imagined she could see all his other faces. They were forever trapped in his past, never to return, never to save the day again.

"What's your name?" he asked, measured and calculating.

"Alison Bane, but some call me Alice."

The corner of his lip twitched, a ghost of an attempt at amusement. "Like through the looking glass?" Alison nodded and he leaned in even closer. "Well Alison Alice Bane, tell me. What am I doing here?"

She crinkled her brow in confusion. He had just come from the outside. Hadn't he noticed the attacking ships?

"There are ships in the sky." she said. "We're being attacked. I thought that was why you were outside."

He shook his head, straightening to return to his hub. "I only went out because I was frustrated, not because of some invasion."

The man began pulling and twisting several controls, yanking one of the many screens around to look at. A date and time appeared on the screen and again he shook his head.

"Impossible." he said. "This is a fixed moment in time. A year of peace where no invasions of any kind take place. You're wrong."

"No, I'm not." Alison snapped, coming to his side. "I was out there. I know what I saw and I know that we are being attacked. So don't tell me that I'm wrong."

Something exploded outside before he could respond and the room was thrown around as warning sounds began to blare. Alison hung on to the edge of the hub console and the Time Traveller ran around frantically throwing switches. At last they stabilized and he leaned against his hub with a huff, staring across to his door. A flash of curiosity brightened his eyes for just a split second and for a breathe he did not seem so ancient.

"We're being attacked." he announced. "Or more specifically Earth is."

Alison rolled her eyes, finding herself exasperated with the man. It didn't matter if they came from earth or travelled through time, men never listened to her.

The man straightened and swiftly walked to the door, Alison close on his heels. He brought up his hand as if to snap his fingers and then lowered it, his shoulders sagging ever so slightly. Reaching the door, he swung it open and stepped half way through, turning back to block Alison. Just past his shoulder she could see the burning skies and the pillar of smoke still rising from the heart of DC. She tried to push her way out, but he did not let her, holding the door firmly in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm coming with you."

"No you're not." he said. "I won't have you running about and getting into trouble. You've broken into my sanctuary and now you're going to stay here."

"You can't just lock me up!"

"I can and I will. Now sit still and don't touch anything."

He left and closed the door. A solid click announced the locking mechanism, but it did not stop Alison from ramming against the door. She hammered it with the flat of her hand, frustrated to be locked away as if she were some child.

"You can't do this. I have to go out there. My friend-"

"Is probably dead."

She stopped hammering. He was still out there. Alison pressed herself to the door, letting what he had said about Meg sink in. Her legs buckled and she slid to her knees, her hands resting against the cold wood.

"At least tell me one thing then." she said softly after a moment. "Just one thing if you're going to leave me here...Who are you, Time Traveller? Who are you really?"

Seconds passed in silence, but to her it felt like an eternity. Perhaps that was just a side effect from the blue box, the TARDIS he had called it. Alison closed her eyes, sure that he had left.

"They once called me the Doctor."

Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at the door, wishing she could see him.

"But I don't know if that's who I am anymore."

He left then, Alison felt sure of that. The Doctor's name lingered behind though and she held onto it.

"Doctor." she whispered, testing the name with her tongue. "Doctor Who?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Doctor!"

Alison banged on the door, frantically rattling the silver handle to get out. Hours had passed, a war raged on beyond the door, and still he did not return. She was trapped in a box and her world was ending. The walls did not block out the screams and every so often explosions would rattle the infinite room until she was lying on the floor.

She had never felt terror like this before, had never known that it could be so powerful. It was like she was being pulled apart, alone and forgotten, and the worst part-The worst part was that deep down she never felt more alive. The world was ending and she felt alive.

"Doctor, please!" she yelled. "Come back. Let me out."

There was no answer to her calls. Nothing but the sounds of war. There was a sonic blast, a sound like a mournful trumpet, and she felt heat spread up along the door. Her heart was in her throat and she retreated, backing away to the hub. Something terrible had happened. She could feel it in her gut.

Turning Alison addressed the TARDIS's controls, looking for a way to activate the screens. A box that could travel through time, she told herself, had to at least be able to see what was on the outside. The Doctor's warning not to touch anything sat at the back of her mind, but he had been gone too long now. She grasped a lever shaped like a car shift and pushed it up, mimicking the motions he had gone through previously. Another switch, a button, and a lever were activated and she ran to the opposite side, turning three knobs four ticks to the right.

Something was activated, hopefully one of the monitors, and she brought around a screen, powering it on. The screen remained blank for a beat and then two before an image started fading into focus. She held her breath, unsure of what she was seeing.

The image portrayed something that looked like it came from a Sci-fi film; an alien world with a red sky and blackened structures. It wasn't until the screen came into full focus did she realize that what she was staring at was her world. It was a view of the reflecting pool and at the far end, rising beaten and battered, was the Washington Monument. Smoke curled along the apocalyptic landscape and massive forms knotted with muscle marched along the paths. There was no sign of any human life, just desolation and the conquering aliens.

"No." whispered Alison. "No it's not possible."

Tears sprung to her eyes. It had only been a few hours. The military would have fought back, they would have defend their capitol, but then she saw the military. Their vehicles and weapons were thrown into a pile in front of the Lincoln Memorial where several alien guards kept watch. Beside them were statues, hundreds of statues of men and women dressed in military clothing. America's defence had been turned to stone.

Quickly Alison switched the image off and folded herself over the hub. She couldn't breathe; tremors wracking her frame and making her sick. Her world was gone. Where was the hope in that? Something had happened when the Doctor had left, something that he could not stop. He had needed help, she was sure of that, but there was no one there.

"What do I do?" she moaned through her tears. "What do I do?"

How could things get better if she couldn't change what happened? Alison stopped then, staring at the controls in front of her. She was standing in the middle of the one thing that could save her. She needed to change the past and the TARDIS was going to do just that.

Alison sniffed and straightened, wiping at the tears streaming down her face. Staring up at the crystal chamber, she placed a hand on its cool sides.

"We have to go back." she told the hub, feeling ridiculous for talking to an inanimate object. "Something went wrong and-and we need to fix it. Come on, you're a time machine."

She ducked her head, taking in shuddering breaths as she tried to calm her racing heart.

"I know you're listening-I know you're alive, because I felt you breathing all those years ago. Do you remember that? A ten year old girl found you in the woods and you found me. So let's work together now. Let's find the Doctor...Please."

Nothing happened and she drew away, disappointment weighing down on her. It was no use. She was talking to thin air. Only the Doctor could control the TARDIS and he was gone.

About to turn away, Alison heard the subtle clicking of gears and looked to see a lever shifting down. The room jolted forward and she fell against the hub as a knob turned and the lights began blinking. The crystals in the chamber began to move, rising and lowering with the breathing wheeze that had followed her all her life. She held on, leaning back with the rocking room, and slowly a smile returned to her face.

This was really happening. They were really traveling through time and at that moment she couldn't help thinking about Uncle Canton. If only he could see her now, traveling in the blue box called the TARDIS.

The crystals slowed and she was jostled forward as the box came to rest. Sending a silent thank you to the hub, Alison ran for the door and tried to open it. The handle still would not budge and she let her head thud onto its wood. She had travelled in a time machine and still she was unable to get out. A quiet wheeze behind her reminded Alison that she was not alone and she glanced back to the hub.

"I don't suppose you could open the door for me?"

She heard the lock's tumblers roll and click and she tried the door again. It opened without any further delay and she pushed out into the open, blinking in a bright sunlight.

The world as she knew it had returned and with it the invading spaceships. On the far side of the park she could see the retreating back of the Doctor, having left moments before. Above the multitude of black spheres had moved to converge over the centre of DC where she could hear faint screams and laser blasts. Three military helicopters soared overhead, accompanied by several jets that screamed through the sky. Their resulting wind buffeted her and she stepped back with a gasp, somewhat shaken by her travels. The TARDIS had done it.

Turning, Alison closed the door and pressed a hand to the aged wood.

"I'll bring him back for you." she said. "I promise."

A thrill ran through her like a shock of energy and she left, running to find the Doctor. Alison stuck to the cover of the trees, dodging between their perfectly placed trunks to keep out of sight. The Doctor was long gone by the time she reached the end of the reflecting pool and there wasn't even a glimpse of his large chin. She paused, coming up to the lawn surrounding the Washington Monument. Like everywhere else it was deserted at first glance. The platform still stood at the monument's base and now it contained several pieces of sound equipment wrapped in tarps.

The Doctor was nowhere to be seen and she almost stepped out from her cover for a closer look when a small aircraft circled above. It was pointed and gleamed like a black mirror, a menacing figure that tested her resolve to stay. The alien craft came to land on the far side of the monument and a group of ten of the beastly creatures disembarked.

They were a sight like no other, reaching well over six feet in height with muscular shoulders that carried intimidating weapons. All of them were male, their large heads carrying thick manes of hair tied back in ponytails and twisting horns sticking out on top of their skulls. Multi nostril noses pierced with studs flared and flat lips snarled in response to the orders of their leader. Their skin was like granite, but they moved with surprising agility, popping from one area to the next.

Alison watched them with bated breath as they convened on the towering monument, attaching strange devices to its base. After a moment it occurred to her that perhaps they weren't as fast as she had first thought. No, their swift movements of popping from place to place was due to the tiny instruments strapped to their armoured chests. With a wave of a hand over a circular gem they would wink out of existence only to reappear several feet away.

Two of the aliens began making their way down to where she hid, patrolling the area for any unwanted company. Catching sight of them, Alison quickly backed away to the deserted road and turned to search for a way to escape. Her first thought was to scale the tree branches and hide, but something told her it would not fool the creatures for long. She scanned the empty street until her gaze alighted on a black jaguar ten yards away, the vehicle rammed between two trees where it had swerved off in a panic. It was her best shot.

The aliens were close now, close enough that she could hear their bizarre, gargled speech. Surprisingly she could understand it, a revelation she did not dwell long on. Alison ducked around a tree and hopped a short wall separating her from the road. She didn't waste time looking back, sprinting to the jaguar and sliding into the driver's open door. The car was empty, its owner no doubt cowering with the rest of the city, but the keys were still in the ignition.

Dirt sprayed up around her and a heavy branch landed not far away under the rapid fire of laser beams. They had spotted her. Alison slammed the door shut, simultaneously turning the key and starting the motor. It purred to life and she shifted the clutch into reverse, stomping on the gas. The wheels squealed in protest as she rounded onto the road and faced the oncoming aliens attacking her. The right side mirror was knocked off and the roof sung with heat from another close shot.

Shoving the clutch into gear, she killed the motor and cursed. A stick shift was never her forte in driving which was why she tried to avoid it when she could.

Keeping her eyes on the road, Alison fumbled with the keys and restarted the car. She retried the manoeuvre with the clutch and shot forward amidst the laser burst, breaking through the line of aliens that had gathered. She crowed in disbelief, checking her rear view mirror and watching the aliens shrink behind her. It was strange. They weren't even attempting to chase her. Maybe they figured it was only a matter of time before she ended up in the centre of the city.

She heard the rushing sound of a flying aircraft and glanced up through the jaguar's sun roof. The ship she had seen land in front of the monument was now hovering above her speeding car. No, they were not letting her get away that easily. Another curse flew from her lips and she gritted her teeth, forcing the shift into second gear and picking up speed.

Rushing down the street, Alison took a swift turn onto a nearby lawn that cut away towards the museums. The aircraft followed, firing on the speeding vehicle as it cleared a short ridge and flew through the air. Alison's knuckles were white on the steering wheel and she screamed, forcing herself not to close her eyes. The car landed, skidding and rounding to the side until it was parallel to the lawn she had just left. Catching her breath, she peered out the window and swallowed.

A second aircraft had joined the chase and just below it she could see three motorcycle like vehicles racing across the lawn. All of them were equipped with weapons and all of them opened fire on her. Only the distance kept her from being hit, the aliens furious enough not to take aim.

"What the hell did I get myself into?" she murmured, shifting gears and taking off.


	5. Chapter 5

The sleek jaguar shot down the narrow streets of DC, the pod of alien hunters close behind in pursuit. Alison checked her only remaining side mirror, flinching when that too was blown off. They were gaining. Chunks of road flew up around her amidst the blasts from their laser weapons, creating pot holes and forcing her to swerve. She didn't know how long she could keeping going like this.

Two options faced her and she was not fond of either. On the one hand the granite creatures, as she had come to call them, would eventually capture her and take her to where everyone else was being gathered. On the other hand, the granite creatures would eventually capture her and she would suffer a slow and agonizing death. Alison shuddered, yanking around the steering wheel for an abrupt turn. There had to be a third option that didn't involve the aliens catching her.

The loud buzzing of a motor gradually pulled up along the driver's side and she glanced back to see one of the motorcycles approaching. It's driver was bent down at a ninety degree angle, clad entirely in black and brandishing what looked like a grappling hook. Staying just a few feet behind, he fired and Alison ducked in response to the grating crunch of the hook landing. She gasped, staring down at the sharp, metal claws tearing into her side door just inches away from her legs. This was becoming too close for comfort.

Her head hit the back rest as the alien began reeling her in and the door creaked in the car's effort to remain moving forward. Alison shifted into third gear, able to keep the motor from dying, and laid down on the gas. It was too much for the door and it was ripped away from the frame. Only a feeble twist of its hinges kept the door connected and it was enough for the alien to continue reeling the car in.

She was exposed to their attacks, the laser blasts getting closer and closer to their mark. Her arm hair was singed off from the last shot and the strap of her seat belt was severed. Yanking hard on the wheel, Alison slammed on the breaks and the jaguar squealed around to a halt to face the oncoming hunters. The anchored motorcycle flew past her front, caught off guard by her abrupt halt. His momentum broke the last connection to the door, ripping it off and sending it his way. Alison flinched, the door colliding with the cyclist and sending him into a light pole where a fiery explosion engulfed him.

The smell of burning rubber and charred granite creature choked her, making it hard to think. Wiping away at streaming eyes, she squinted out from the gaping hole that use to be her door, searching for some sign of where she was. A downed street pole hanging from spitting power lines told her she was on 7th St NW not far from the Mt. Vernon Square.

An awful, shrill ringing broke from one of the ships bearing down on her and she instinctively bucked, covering her ears. Her fingers slipped with something warm and she realized that her ears were bleeding. The granite creatures were trying to keep her immobile until they could reach the jaguar. Alison cringed from the sound, buckling over the steering wheel and panting with the effort not to black out.

She stared ahead where cars and trucks were lined up all along the streets, blocking her pursuers way. Not that it caused a problem for them as the aircrafts above shoved everything to the side with missiles and mechanical arms. Even Semi Trucks were unable to stop them as Alison watched several get turned over on their side, including a car transport.

The car transport caught her eye, its dented ramp unhinged and lying on the asphalt. An idea formed and she didn't let it get far enough for the dangerous implications to set in. Gritting her teeth, Alison released her bleeding ears and kicked the radio on, turning it up to block out the ringing. The Heavy's _How You Like Me Now _was on and she couldn't help grinning, her blood pumping hot with adrenaline.

Revving the engine she released the brake, shooting forward and bearing down on the wall of aliens without blinking. Three hundred yards separated them and then one hundred. Neither one wavered from their course and Alison said a short prayer, giving the jaguar all it had. Fifty feet, thirty, ten...The remaining motorcycles swerved and the aircrafts flew up above her, avoiding the collision.

Alison's heart hammered in her chest, her pulse thrumming through her entire frame. She aimed the car towards the ramp and yelled, rolling out of the car at the last second. The asphalt was not forgiving and she skid along the street as the car continued up the ramp. Alison rolled, passing beneath an SUV and coming to a stop against its tire where she remained still.

The ground shook when the jaguar landed on the other side and Alison gasped, cringing against the pain wracking her body. She was throbbing from head to toe, the left side of her shirt torn away and exposing her bleeding arm and shoulder. Her head felt like it had cracked open and stars popped in her vision as her ears rang from the explosion. Jumping out of a moving car was not as glamorous as the movies made her believe.

Fire rained down around her and black smoke threatened to suffocate her. Grimacing, she crawled out from beneath the SUV and stumbled against a nearby store front. The jaguar was gone, there was no doubt about that. She could see its twisted hull in a shimmering blaze with metal and bits of tire returning to earth around it. The granite creatures doubled back and swarmed over the wreckage, never noticing the battered girl clutching her arm. She smiled and choked back a cough, running in the opposite direction. Her distraction had worked.

She didn't dare jump into another car, fearing that the aliens would hear the starting motor. Instead she half ran, half stumbled along 7th St, heading down towards the nearby square. The droning sounds of alien aircrafts reached her the closer she came and she looked up to see that the spherical mother ships were heading in the same direction. Other, smaller drones zipped away behind her, no doubt sent to investigate the commotion she had just caused. With any luck they would think she had died in the wreck.

Approaching the Mount Vernon Square, Alison slowed down her pace and came up on the cobblestone area with care. Skirting to the side, she hid among the clothing racks set out in front of a store, peeking out from between the floral dresses marked down from summer. Several of the ships had landed in the Square and she could see the military's jets being surrounded by the granite creatures. Further down was the flaming wreckage of the helicopter and the tremors began in her knees, traveling to the tips of her fingers. Where was the Doctor?

Groups of people were being herded on board three of the ships and she could only assume that similar scenes were taking place in other squares of the city. Meg was with a unit closest to where Alison was hiding, the other girl looking nervously around her and cringing when one of the aliens came close. Her face drained when she spotted her friend and Alison quickly motioned for her to be quiet. There was a pause between communication and then Meg nodded slightly, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Alison watched as the granite creatures loaded her friend on board, a sick feeling settling in her stomach. With the last of the group loaded the ship's doors closed and a second, smaller set of doors opened for the aliens. It wasn't taking off yet, several granites emerging to talk with others gathered in the square.

Carefully, Alison climbed out of the rack and entered the clothes shop behind her through its broken door, careful to avoid the shattered glass. She quickly found her way to the back, grabbing a shirt, jacket, and pants along the way. Her own shirt was a bloody mess, nearly falling off from her slight frame.

Shock kept her from fully dwelling on how she had mangled her arm, the wreck she survived sitting as a dream in the back of her head. She moved mechanically as instinct kicked in, only going through the motions that were necessary to survive. Changing quickly, she found a pair of ankle boots and tied them on, going through a side door that led to an adjoining shop.

Alison stopped the moment she entered the shop, caught off guard by what was displayed before her. She was in an electronics store now, TV's, computers, phones-every available screen portraying a video loop of one of the granite creatures. His skin was darker than the others and his hair was black, hinting at seniority. Across his brow was an intricate design traced in something that looked alarmingly similar to blood.

"We are the Skrull and we have come to conquer planet Earth for the honour of the Seven Rings." the beast snarled, his voice like gravel. "Your race is inferior to our higher minds. Surrender now and you will not suffer greatly...We are the Skrull and we have come to conquer Planet Earth for the honour of the Seven Rings."

"So this is a game to you is it?"

Alison jumped, turning around to see the Doctor bent over one of the many laptops. He scowled at the alien, yet to notice that Alison was even there.

"Travelling about, conquering worlds in order to receive a badge or a trophy like a common scout." he continued. "And you never think about the lives, do you? But why am I surprised? Your race has always been arrogant."

"Can you stop them?" asked Alison.

He looked up at her slowly, his gaze shadowed, and she swallowed. Maybe he _had_ known that she was there.

"I thought I told you to stay in the TARDIS."

The Doctor straightened and strode towards her.

"I'm not very good when it comes to listening." she said.

There was no reply and he paused as he was passing her, pulling down on the one side of her jacket. She grimaced, the cloth scraping against her raw skin and he glanced over the fresh wounds. After a moment he replaced her sleeve and went on to gaze out the front window. Grunting at the discomfort from the tender tissue, Alison tentatively joined him.

"So, can you save them?" she asked again, watching the activity around the Square.

"I can."

She frowned, his answer sounding far too open ended for her liking and she pressed further.

"What are you going to do?"

"I need to get aboard one of their ships, see what their working with."

"I'm coming with you."

"You do whatever you like." he told her gruffly.

The Doctor turned away and she watched him leave the store, troubled. It was strange, but there was something off about the Doctor. He wasn't entirely like the man Uncle Canton had described. He was older, harder even, and it drew tremors down her spine. She wondered, as she followed him out the shop, if he was still the man she could trust.

He reached into his breast pocket sewn on the inside of his jacket and retrieved an instrument that reminded her of something like a pen. Crouching behind an overturned display of laptop boxes, the Doctor pressed a button and the instrument opened up at the top. A green light shown and a strange sound was emitted, just as wonderful as the TARDIS's breathing. Alison watched the device, fascinated and turned away only when a spray of sparks shot out from one of the spaceship's doors.

The aliens ran towards the disturbance, abandoning their posts and creating a free path to the nearest ship. Alison's eyes widen and she looked between the device and the resulting chaos.

"Did you do that?" she whispered, as he put away the sonic device.

"Technically my sonic screwdriver did." he replied, moving out from cover. "But yes I did that."

"Awesome." she breathed.

She followed him in a crouched position across the Square and without a second thought entered the ship on his heels. There was no shout of alarm and they slipped into the confines of the ship's dark halls unharmed. Red lights shown down on grated floors and strange symbols marked stone walls. Alison ran a hand over the length of stone, curious despite herself. She had always pictured spaceships to be layers of chrome and blinking gadgets, but this was more like a cave tunnel.

The Doctor did not wait for her as she studied her surroundings, quickly turning down a wide corridor and brandishing his sonic screwdriver like a sword. The green light was far down the tunnel by the time she noticed his absence and she chased after him, one hand tracing the symbols as she passed. They lit up with tiny bolts of electric blue, crackling behind her in the shadows.

"You've got to admit." whispered Alison when she caught up with him. "This is pretty cool."

He rounded abruptly, his screwdriver still held high, and looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"Earlier you were banging on my doors yelling for someone to save your world." he said, coming close and looking directly in her eyes as if checking if she were sick. "Now you're saying the very aliens that invaded you are cool?"

She gave a half grin and shrugged. It had always been this way for her, ever since she was little. When others found things strange and alarming, she was the first to go looking for them. She credited this to finding the TARDIS in the woods, but it was something much deeper than that. Adventure ran in her blood.

"I've never been in a spaceship before." she said.

The Doctor straightened with an affronted look and angrily fixed his bowtie.

"You take that back. The TARDIS is a spaceship."

He turned and continued down the strange tunnels, Alison close behind him. She picked up her pace and drew to his side, barely noticing that they entered a strangely marked door.

"I thought the TARDIS was just a time machine."

"No, not _just_ a time machine." he replied irritably. "It is time and relative dimensions in space, a.k.a. _my TARDIS_."

She stopped then. They had entered a large room, lit by the same strange light that did nothing to reveal their surroundings. The Doctor was turning around the room with his sonic and she watched him as a thought struck her. If the TARDIS was just a time machine...

"So what does that make you?" she asked. "An alien."

For the first time the Doctor stopped and for a moment she was afraid of what he might say. He was backlit against the red glow's source, a dark, lanky silhouette with a green screwdriver. Slowly he looked at her, his brown mop falling over his eyes and giving him a mysterious, unapproachable look.

"Yes." he said. "Does that scare you?"

She thought about it, measuring her reaction towards his answer. Was she afraid? Well she wasn't running away. That had to account for something, but then she ran against an invasion so maybe there was something wrong with her.

He was still watching her and finally she shook her head. The Doctor looked away, his head bowed as he stared at the end of his sonic, reading it.

"Oh Alison Alice Bane." he said in a mournful way. "You should be. You really should be afraid of me."

The screwdriver emitted a sharp ring and the room brightened. Alison couldn't contain her gasp, falling back against the room's door and clapping a hand to her mouth. The room was not empty. It was filled with rows of statues, at least a hundred of them, all of them turned into stone by the aliens' technology. The Doctor gazed around at the statues, sucking in his cheeks, and then he turned away to check the door.

He moved Alison aside with barely a brush of the arm and she slowly approached first row as if in a trance. Alison reached out a hand and felt the granite face of the statue nearest to her.

"Meg." she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

This couldn't be possible. Alison caressed her friend's face, tracing out Meg's eyes and the bridge of her nose. Nothing magical happened as she had hoped. Meg didn't wake up at her touch and she realized that she may never wake up. A trickle of stone dust fell from beneath her fingers and she backed away, choking down a sob.

She looked around at the rest of the statues and her legs threatened to buckle. It was like seeing her world end all over again, but now she could see their faces. The terror frozen in their expression and the stances that they took, arms outstretched to block the rays of the granite Skrulls' weapons.

"They're dead." she gasped, unable to contain the pressure building in her chest. "Every one of them. The granite creatures killed them."

"They're not dead." muttered the Doctor.

He was still at the door, his sonic screwdriver working steadily on a small screen set in the side of the wall. Alison didn't believe him, his statement actually sparking her temper instead of reassuring her. It was the second time he contradicted her, acting as if he knew everything instead of trusting what he saw. Others believed her; her friends and co-workers, her boss at the Washington News Press. Granted, she usually had pictures to show for it, but the stone statues of people she knew had to be enough for proof.

"Doctor, look at them." she snapped, rounding on him. "They were turned to stone. They can't move, they can't breathe-So you tell me how my best friend isn't dead."

The Doctor stiffened in response and she realized too late that she might have hit a nerve. Unfortunately her stubbornness kicked in and she refused to back down even when he turned his burning gaze on her. For a split second she imagined that she saw smouldering planets and then a cold, dark blackness that engulfed everything it touched. Breathing heavily, she wondered what could cause his eyes to appear so empty and full at the same time.

He approached her slowly, his massive chin jutting out and his thin brows drawing together over his dark gaze. A tremor ran down her back, but she did not turn away. She had already gone too far.

"Listen to me carefully." he said gravely and she flinched.

He did not raise his voice like she expected, but his calm demeanour was so much worse to bear. It was like a storm waiting on the edges of the city, building dark and purple in the background, but always restraining against the power you knew it had. She wished he would yell, because she could understand that bit of anger. This was deeper.

"I have lived a long time and it has taken me a while, but I learned something in that time." the Doctor continued. "It is never safe to get close to anyone. Yes, it's nice to share a companionship in the beginning, but eventually they'll leave you, betray you, or die. And if you're lucky, sometimes they will forget about you. So many have left me or have been taken and now I'm starting to realize that it is for the best, because in the end you're the only one you can trust to stay by your side. In the end you'll find that you're always alone and that is the safest you'll ever be."

The Doctor fell silent and remained standing over her, watching as tears began to gather at the corners of Alison's eyes. She did not let them fall, her grey stare hardening in her effort to not let one slip by. It pulled something in the depths of his dark hearts, but it was easily killed and he returned to working on the screen.

"Yeah, you're right." Alison told his back. "They do leave you. I've had them leave me all my life, Doctor. My parents, my grandparents, my Uncle, friends, and even my pets. You would think I would have learned by now."

"Live for a few centuries and you will." he replied quietly.

She shook her head, slowly approaching him. "No, I don't think I will. See here's the thing, I think I will always be finding someone to share my life with, even if in the end they might leave me. Because sharing those few bright moments is so much better than the alternative of being afraid of letting anyone come close and making my world a little better."

Alison gestured back to the stone figure of her friend despite the fact that he didn't see her. It was necessary though. She needed to acknowledge it even if it was painful.

"Meg, she was there when my Uncle died. She was there when Grandma Mary died and she never let things get too dark for me. If I do as you say, if I stay alone, I will let myself go into that darkness, Doctor. I will let myself burn until there's nothing left inside me that cares."

She paused, staring at the back of the Time Traveller's head and in that moment she understood why he was different. He was letting himself burn.

"No one is meant to be alone." she whispered. "It's far more dangerous risking being alone than finding someone that may only last a moment."

He didn't respond, determinedly staring at the screen and trying to hear anything but her words. It was not working, because to his annoyance the girl was coming closer until she stood by his side. Again something stirred in that dark hollow in his chest and again he killed it, but something lingered. He didn't know it, but something had sparked.

At last the screen was activated and he manipulated its workings with a higher screech from his sonic. An image appeared, an overhead of what was possibly the Skrulls' operations booth. Several of their monitors portrayed live feeds of other countries in the world that were being invaded. The Doctor saw the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Great Wall, and even the pyramids of Egypt.

Many of the Skrull in the room were communicating with their leader, the ugly brute with the red tattoo on his forehead. There was no sound coming in and he directed his sonic at the controls below his screen. They sparked momentarily, but still the video was silent. He scowled, straightening from his bent position and yanking open the door.

Standing in the middle of its frame, he stopped and looked back at Alison who was watching him expectantly. She was a good girl, he thought, exactly the kind of person who shouldn't follow him.

"She isn't dead." he told her and her eyes lit up.

"What?"

"Like I said before. Your friend, she isn't dead. None of them are. They are just hibernating, put in a stasis for transportation. They can be woken up."

Alison stepped forward, scarcely believing him.

"Can you do it?" she asked. "You can use your sonic screwdriver or something, right?"

The Doctor glanced out his side of the door, silently measuring the three long tunnels branching out from where he stood. There were no signs of approaching aliens. They were all probably outside gathering more humans for transport or in the command centre. He needed to get there to the command centre, preferably on his own, but another idea was forming.

"I need to get to the ship's helm." he said, half to himself and half to Alison.

In the very back of his mind he regretted what he was about to do, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Quickly he slipped out the door and closed it behind him, cutting off Alison from following him. Activating his screwdriver, he locked her inside with the statues.

"Are you kidding me?" her yell was muffled by the heavy door between them.

The Doctor didn't stay behind to listen this time, turning on his heels down the right corridor. She couldn't hear his retreating footsteps as she banged against the door, the sound echoing in the large space of the room. She couldn't believe he had done this to her again; treating her like a child and locking her away in a room. It was driving her up the walls and she wasn't about to let him get away with it.

Alison rammed her shoulder against the door, yelping and falling to the ground as she suddenly remembered that she had injured that particular side. Her shoulder throbbed, all the blood rushing to stain her jacket sleeve. Swallowing against the bile rising in her throat, she stood up and readjusted her position.

Again she used her body to hit the door, this time using her uninjured shoulder. Not like it made a difference, banging on a door that wouldn't budge, but it made her feel better.

"You may be fantastic," she grunted with every collision, "At saving worlds...and flying time...and space ships...But it doesn't mean...You can...Make...My...Decisions."

She could no longer feel her arm when Alison finally stopped to rest against the door. There was a bruise there for sure, probably reaching over her shoulder and down her arm. The door still stood in its frame and, unlike the TARDIS, she was pretty sure it wouldn't open even if she asked nicely.

Gasping for breath, Alison readdressed the room, something she was determined not to do until now. She cringed in response to seeing her friend and then scanned the walls that reached farther back then what she could see. There had to be another way out. One door to a containment of hundreds of statues? She had photographed too many government packing units to believe that. The Skrull might be an alien race, but they were still a part of a military force and they would know to have more than one exit.

She pushed up from the wall and approached the first row of statues. Steeling herself, she entered their motionless ranks and forged ahead, deeper into the room.

* * *

The Doctor pressed himself up against a craggy wall of the tunnel corridor he was following, tracing out the line of alien symbols left there. They didn't spark with blue lines of electricity like he had expected, staying stone cold at his touch. He almost smiled at the pun, but his frown only deepened and he slid further down the wall, testing it. The wall was wet, porous, and-he stopped and listened for a breath before nodding. Yes, it was definitely humming.

Straightening, he ran a finger up along the wet tunnel wall and sniffed it. The smell burned his nose and he immediately stuck his tongue out, tasting the rock which was even worst. There was dust from a Canvor asteroid belt about three light years away in there. The Doctor rolled his tongue around in his mouth, letting the taste reach the back of his throat. _Second moon from the Rondu planet in the third faction of the Tesseran Nebula._

"You're operating from your military base." he murmured. "Oh you are far from home, aren't you?"

He grimaced, swallowing against his gag reflex and retrieving his sonic screwdriver. Directing it at the wall he followed the corridor down several feet collecting as much data as possible. His sonic buzzed into his palm and he brought it up abruptly, reading what it had found. It was just as he had thought. The tunnel wasn't made out of stone. It was made out of people, other life forms placed in their stasis and converted into planetary matter. Their life force was what kept the ships running and essentially the tunnel's were the ships' engines. A very organic power source, but not one the Doctor was overly fond off.

The Doctor placed a hand on the wall and felt the humming again. He boiled on the inside, his very nature insulted by the crudeness of the Skrull. The thousands of lives making up the ships were never going to wake again. It would probably be best not to tell Alison about this.

_Alison Alice Bane. _The Doctor spun on his heels, again bringing up his sonic screwdriver to study. This time he called up the readings he had gathered on the girl when she was following him in the corridors. She was so distracted she hadn't noticed, nor was she aware that she was activating the symbols on the walls. The Doctor glanced back at the wall and frowned before returning his attention to the sonic. Her readings were human for most of her life. In fact she was quite normal up until...

"Ten years ago." breathed the Doctor, snapping his sonic screwdriver shut. "Just a little girl in the woods. How could I have forgotten?"

It wasn't his fault for forgetting. Ten years for Alison had been nearly a two thousand for the Doctor. He had just fled from the end of the Time War and woken up with a new face. The regeneration energies were just burning off when he heard her approach the door and try to get in. A little girl with an innocent heart who was open to anything, including the time vortex. After that he had gone to London and met Rose and so much had happened since that he had forgotten.

The Doctor raked a hand through his hair, trying his hardest to remember that day, but it was only for a split second. Their brief meeting was a passing moment in time and too many years separated him from the memory. However there was one thing he was quite sure of: the TARDIS allowed a part of her to be attached to Alison Alice Bane. It explained how she was able to get in to the TARDIS and how she got out, and how she always managed to find him, but...Why her? What was so special about-?

"No!" he shouted, stopping himself abruptly. "No more questions. I'm done caring about that part. No, it's time to get some answers!"

He thrust his sonic screwdriver into the air and activated it, sending a signal throughout the entire ship. If the Skrull still relied on their hive mind capabilities the whole army would hear him. Every Skrull would know that the Doctor was here.

Clenching his jaw tightly, the Doctor lowered his sonic and turned it off, sliding it into his coat pocket. Any second now. He straightened his tie, his ears twitching from distant mayhem unfolding around him, and his lips pulled into a dead smile. They appeared within a blink, ten Skrullian footmen and a captain with white face paint surrounded him in the cramped corridor. Lazily the Doctor leaned one hand against the tunnel wall and looked over the group of aliens with hooded eyes.

"You took your time showing up." he observed cryptically.


	7. Chapter 7

He remained motionless as several Skrulls dressed in white strapped him into the skeleton of a metal chair. They straightened his legs and secured them together, leaving his arms free, because why not? The Skrull had already captured him and once someone was in their custody no one is able to escape. Not like the Doctor had any plans of escaping just yet. He was still working on that.

Standing across from him was the Skrullian Captain and his second in command. They snarled at him, but then maybe that was just their face. He didn't really care as he glared at them, never blinking and never turning his gaze.

A red light flashed from the side and a machine was activated, roaring to life and grinding its many gears. One of the white clad Skrullians approached the Doctor's front, holding a thin, metal cage made up of undulating wires. Something was squirming around in there, sounding like steel scraping on steel. The cage bucked in the Skrull's hands and the Doctor frowned. Several something's.

He watched the cage open automatically and three things like metal centipedes fell out. They landed with a clang on the grated floor and immediately clambered up the Doctor's frame. He resisted the urge to shudder, returning his gaze to the two leaders in the room. No, he wasn't about to give them the satisfaction. They will only get his disgust, his rage, and no second chances.

One of the centipedes slithered around his neck, pricking his skin with pincers. A computer beeped in response as the remaining two creatures found their way under his shirt. The second in command checked the tablet he was holding, his lips curling and nostrils flaring like a bulls. Meeting the Doctor's glare, he leaned over and whispered something to his Captain.

"Oh yes I know," The Doctor spoke up loudly, cutting off their conversation, "Two hearts isn't exactly a human trait now is it?"

The Captain stiffened, squaring his shoulders and coming closer to glower over the Doctor. The Doctor could smell his breath; like the half eaten corpse of a Dyret left in the Delurian sun. He almost gagged, but he bit his tongue and concentrated on the transport piece strapped to the Skrull's chest. It was a bit outdated, nothing like the Skrull technology for this millennium. In fact everything about this space army seemed outdated, right down to their roman like armour.

He glanced up at the Captain, the pieces still coming together with only a few empty spaces to fill.

"Who are you?" demanded the Captain.

"A question I've been asking myself a lot lately." said the Doctor. "But you might have heard of my name...They call me the Doctor."

He half expected for the beast to blanch, to screech in a rage and throw a fit. After all, that is what most other monsters did when they heard his name. There was rarely a time when someone had not at least heard of what he has done, but the Skrull simply blinked in confusion. Silence permitted the room and the Doctor glanced around, absorbing the lack of reaction.

"We have never heard of your kind." the Captain responded. "What is your species, inferior being?"

"Captain Ullroc," muttered his second, "There is something in his right breast pocket."

The Captain, Ullroc roughly pushed around the Doctor's jacket, folding it over and flicking away the metal centipedes. Thick fingers scrounged inside the Doctor's pocket and quickly retrieved his sonic screwdriver. He held it aloft, his granite cheeks slowly turning to brown stone.

"Oh look at that." observed the Doctor sarcastically. "You found my screwdriver. Wonderful."

"This is Time Lord technology." said Ullroc.

"So you have heard of my species."

The Skrull Captain rounded on his second, "Activate the hibernation. He will be our greatest prize with our return to Grundor."

His second in command growled in response and the remaining Skrull scattered from the area. Several went to operate the computers surrounding the Doctor and a cannon gun was lowered. An ugly red light was charged along the gun's sides and a high whining gave warning as it prepared to fire. The Doctor didn't flinch, staring down the muzzle that now smouldered with the power of the laser.

"3...2...1." he said.

There was a rattling clunk and the gun shut down, hanging limp in its casing. Captain Ullroc rammed his fist against the wall with an angry cry. Turning, he grabbed one of his technicians by the throat and swiftly crushed him to the ground. Gravel crunched and stone split. Ullroc slowly released his grip on the dead Skrull and rotated his head, cracking it to the side to glare at his captive.

"Don't worry," said the Doctor, "Equipment failure can happen to the best of us. Of course it helps that my Time Lord technology deactivated your hibernation networks when I summoned you."

"You did not summon us." snarled Ullroc, nearly beside himself with fury. "You were captured by our superior minds. You are our prisoner, Droargon Bearealve."

The Doctor had half a mind to be insulted by such a name, but it wasn't worth his time. He still needed to get to the Captain's deck.

"Just keep telling yourself that, Ullroc." he said. "But I should warn you-"

Grabbing the metal centipede from his neck, he dragged its sharpened legs along the straps over his knees and ankles. The Leather snapped back and he sat up from the metal chair, his steely gaze trained on the Captain.

"Arrogance always tends to make you underestimate your opposition and you should _never underestimate me_."

The Skrulls were racing from the room, abandoning their Captain in a heart beat. Now there was the reaction the Doctor had come to expect, but they were only lackeys. Those with military ranking were the only ones that remained which left the Captain and his second.

"Who are you?" questioned Ullroc.

The Doctor stepped down from the hibernation converter and straightened his tie, letting his hair flop across his eyes.

"Like I said." he replied. "I'm the Doctor. Now, bring me to your Captain's deck. I want an audience with your leader."

* * *

"You think you're so clever." Alison grunted. "Locking me in and leaving me alone...For the second time in a row."

She pushed through the last row of statues, her jacket hem catching in the fingers of a hibernating man and causing him to tip. Hissing out a gasp, she lunged for his stone figure before he reached the ground and landed with him clutched in her arms. She bruised her knees, but at least his statue hadn't shattered into a thousand pieces. Alison shuddered to think what the man would like if he were ever reanimated that way.

Holding him close to her chest, she struggled to her feet and repositioned him back into his row. She let out a sigh of relief and stood, bracing her arms on his shoulders as she caught her breath. Absently she looked him over, his broad frame and young, handsome face catching her attention momentarily. His hair was wavy and brushed to the side, strands sticking out, probably from when he was running away. The man wore a dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a vest that bore engraved signs of a chain to a pocket watch. She half grinned at his dated fashion, idly wondering what colour his eyes were behind his half moon spectacles.

The room shuddered and she heard a rolling clunk echo from somewhere on the ship. Alison steadied the statues nearest to her and held her breath as the lights went out. She glanced up in the darkness, wondering what was going on and where the Doctor was running about. Standing in pitch black for several seconds, she realized that the lights were not coming back on which was really the icing on top of this whole adventure. She was now stuck in a room full of stone people and she couldn't see a thing.

Instinctively she reached out for the man's hand and retrieved it at the last second. There was no sense sitting around holding hands because she was scared. What was her original plan? To find another way out.

Alison dug into her pockets, searching for her ipod that she had transferred from her old clothes. It was sticking half way up of her back jean pocket and she pulled it out, activating its screen. The white light glared up at her and she withdrew it from her face to shine it at the nearby walls. Blinking watery eyes from the light's exposure, she navigated her way around the room, being careful not to touch the statues.

Hitting a side wall without finding anything useful, she doubled back and came across a set of iron rungs on the other side. She tilted her ipod up and examined the ladder scaling the wall all the way up to the ceiling. Or at least she supposed it went to the ceiling, but she couldn't really tell with her scarce light. It was better than nothing though and she turned off her ipod, stuffing it in her back pocket again.

Blindly feeling around, she at last latched onto one of the rungs and hauled herself up. Alison didn't waste time contemplating what she would find at the top, climbing the ladder with a determination that almost blinded her. All she could think of was how the Doctor kept on locking her up when it was very clear that she could take care of her herself. She was basically the only human left in the city who hadn't been captured.

"And the only one mental enough to sneak onto their ship." she muttered to the dark.

She stopped to rest, leaning away from the rungs to try and spot the ground. It was faint but she could just see the grey stone of the statues' heads. There was at least a two story's distance between her and the ground now. Alison glanced above her, trying to make out any type of ceiling. Nothing. It was all black.

Sucking in a weary sigh, she braced herself for how ever long it would take and continued to climb. Her head banged into a metal hatch three feet up and she almost lost her grip as her ears rang. Wrapping an arm around a rung, she freed her other hand and held her head, cursing sharply under her breath. That was unexpected, but she probably should have known better. The Skrull seemed to like black metal which could easily be disguised by the dark.

The hatch opened and she was momentarily blinded by the bright light that was released. Still holding her head, she felt hard, meaty hands grab her by the shoulders and heard the rough dialect of the Skrull. They wrenched her from her perch where she was held aloft between two of the beasts, her feet just skimming the ground.

A Skrull with blue war paint looked her over, taking her jaw in his square fingers and turning her head to the side. It took her a moment, but she recognized him as one of the granite creatures that had landed in front of the Washington Monument.

"She's the one." he announced.

"Is there a problem officer?" she asked in an attempt to hide her trembling.

The Skrull smirked and looked to the two holding her, "Give her a black out."

"Because I have a couple of things to say-"

She didn't get to finish, one of her capturers placing a shimmering black sphere against her mouth. The moment it made contact the sphere warped and spread up along her face. Alison took in a strangled gasp, twisting as the alien thing took over and covered her mouth, nose, and eyes. She screamed, but the sound did not reach past the strange substance. An odd smell was secreted from the liquid/solid form and she lost all will to move her body as she listened to the granite creature give orders to take her to the Captain's deck.


	8. Chapter 8

They were going to turn her into stone. Alison felt sure of that, but the strange part was that she remained calm despite such an awful thought. Her heart should be racing and panic should be gripping her right about now, yet she almost couldn't care less. In fact, she couldn't feel anything at all. Maybe they had already turned her to stone. She couldn't really remember what had happened, just that aliens had invaded Earth and the Doctor was missing.

"You have been brought before me and have been put on trial as your primitive speech has requested."

Alison tried to reply except that she couldn't, because she was stone. It never occurred to her that stone wouldn't be able to hear let alone speak. She remained perfectly still with no desire to ever move again. And what was that awful smell? It burned her nose and turned her thoughts to mush.

"Forgive me if I don't cower, Red Man." responds a voice.

It was a voice that sounded hard, angry even and carried years of sorrow and rage. It was the Doctor's voice, latching onto Alison and drawing her ever so slightly from the muck.

"And if I might correct you," he continued sharply, "But I believe you're the one on trial."

There was a harsh laugh, like a land slide of rubble.

"You are mistaken Doctor. Are you not the one standing in shackles while I stand free."

"The shackles are just for show. There is nothing that can keep me bound for long...If you were smart that would scare you."

"The Skrull are always intelligent." scoffed the leader. "Intelligent enough to see right through your primitive arts."

"It's ironic that you call me primitive." Someone crossed the metal floor and Alison could hear the clanking of shackles hitting the grated ground. "Because from how I see it, you're the ones stuck in the old ways. I noticed it little by little in the way you speak, your warrior demeanor, and your ancient ships."

"Your lies have no meaning with us, Silver Tongue." proclaimed the leader. "We are the top battalion in the Skrullian army."

"No!" said the Doctor loudly. "The keyword is were. You _were_ the top of your army, but something happened. Something big, something massive...Tell me, Red Man. Have you contacted your home planet recently?"

No one answered and the Doctor continued, his footsteps circling the chamber as he fiddled with different things.

"I didn't think so, which means you were ordered not to contact Grundor, which means you were banished for that very massive something. It certainly explains why you are so bent on conquering worlds and earning-what was it? Oh yes! The honour of the seven rings."

"You show intelligence, Doctor. One that is superior to that of the human race."

"Well, I am a Time Lord."

A frantic beeping filled the room and the ground pounded with rushing granite creatures. Their rough dialect grated on Alison's ears as they yelled at one another and she wished that she could cover her ears. It was no use though. She was still stone.

"What have you done?!" cried the Red Man.

"I've found the last missing piece." replied the Doctor. "You time jumped a million years and you didn't even realize it."

"Explain, Doctor. Explain our I'll have your head!"

"Oh that's funny. Are we the red Queen of hearts now?"

"I will not be laughed at. Explain this time jump or I'll have your companion's head."

_Not good_, Alison thought in the back of her mind, _Don't threaten one of his companions, he doesn't like that. _It then gradually occurred to her that she hadn't seen one of the Doctor's traveling companions with him. He had been alone with the TARDIS and when she found him in the electronics store. In fact it had only been the two of them this whole time.

Her heart skipped a beat higher then the steady rhythm it had been forced to keep. She was the companion. She was the life they were threatening the Doctor with.

Light footsteps of a man, not a granite creature, but a man came towards her. She could hear his heavy breathing just inches away from her face. Alison wanted to acknowledge him, she wanted to call his name, but she was stone. She was only stone.

"You used a blackout on her." said the Doctor.

A black out? Yes, that was the thing she had forgotten. They had used a strange, black sphere that had covered her face and removed her will to fight. This meant that she wasn't a statue yet and that she still had a chance.

"This will kill her if you don't remove it soon." the Doctor yelled, his voice turning away from her.

Again her heart rate doubled and this time it did not settle back. It throbbed in her chest and she felt something, a tingling at the base of her skull. The awful smell of the black out continued to burn her nose, but she was able to ignore it now, focusing on the Doctor. Someone squeezed her hand and she felt it, like her fingers had fallen asleep and were now waking up.

"Have I gained your attention now, Doctor?" questioned Red Man.

"Yes."

"Then explain this time jump."

"All right, let me explain it to you very carefully then." said the Doctor. "You were the top of your class, undefeated warriors, but I'm guessing you got cocky and were banished after a failed attempt to take over your own planet. You wanted back in and so scoured the universe conquering planets for the seven rings until you came across an empty part of space."

Alison began to feel the hands of her guards wrapped around her upper arms. They clenched tighter with every word that was spoken. The Doctor was hitting the nail on the head and the Skrull were not happy about it. She whimpered slightly when her bones began to creak and stopped when she found that she could make a sound. Someone, the Doctor, hushed her and she realized that she could be heard. The black out was wearing off.

"There were no stars, no planets to conquer, and no time. You couldn't find your way out; spinning and spinning in a black hole of oblivion that drove you to the brink of madness. So imagine your relief when out of no where the stars returned and you found Earth, the final planet to conquer."

"Enough!" yelled the Red Man, forcing Alison's heart beat into her throat. "What does this drivel have to do with the time jump?!"

"Everything." replied the Doctor. "You see within that black hole of oblivion time doesn't exist because it had been sucked out, but everywhere else in the universe time is moving forward. A few wandering minutes for you is a couple thousand years for us. You were there for hours Red Man, and now you're back, but bad news. The Skrull have moved on. They're no longer warriors. They've evolved into peacemakers that provide planets with medicine and food and sanctuary. Granted the Skrull are still arrogant, but they're nothing more than farmers and scientists."

"These are more lies." replied the Red Man, but others murmured around him.

Could the man with two hearts be right? And if he was, what place did they have in this new age? They had been programed from birth to be warriors of Grundor. There was nothing else they knew or could do. The warrior Skrulls were extinct.

"If you don't believe me, then contact your home planet. All you will find is a society that believes you're a myth. You're a story Red Man, something to tell the little granites before they go to bed. The race you once served is now dead and there is nothing left for you."

There was complete and utter silence, like the whole room was holding its breath. Those holding Alison had slackened their grip and she found that she could wiggle her fingers. In fact she could feel a lot of things now, a revelation that elevated her heart rate once more. She could run. She could get out of their grasp and run if she could only see past the black out.

"You're wrong." announced Red Man after a moment. "If our kind is gone then there is nothing to hold us back from taking what we please. We will have this Earth and its people and we will establish a new warrior race here. The humans' blood will be spilled for our honour and she will be the first of our new reign."

Any chance of an escape was taken away from Alison in all of a split second. Her guards' grip on her arms tightened and she was brought forward, her boots dragging behind her. They kneeled her down amidst the heated protests of the Doctor who was most likely now restrained and to her surprise, they released her. Of course, why wouldn't they? The black out would have removed any will to fight back. She would remain still and never even flinch when the sword removes her head.

She felt the blade at the base of her neck, sharp and thin as paper. Something trickled down her back and she realized that it was her blood. She twitched, terror clinging to her bones and screaming for her to move._ Don't sit down and take this. You're not their puppet, you're a human who would do everything to survive._ Wasn't that right? She had survived years of invasions and disappearing hospitals and a tenth of the world being killed. Everyone she knew and loved had died or were taken away, but she was still here, she was still fighting.

"See, you think you're so clever." said the Doctor. "But you underestimate humans and their will to fight. It can't be taken away, it can only be smothered temporarily, but it always finds a way of making it to the surface."

She gasped and there were mutterings from around the room as the black substance squirmed across her face. It was struggling to remain attached, but something was causing it to pull back. Her eyes were the first to emerge even as she felt the sword be lifted. She saw the Doctor standing to the side, guarded by the barrels of two granite creatures' guns. Next her nose and mouth were freed, the black out dripping to the floor in useless puddles.

Straight ahead and projected on a plasma screen was an image of the leader, his eyes darkening as he watched her. There was a whistling from above and she instinctively ducked and rolled. The sword met the floor with a thunderous clang and she felt the vibration in her teeth. Scrambling from the floor, she twisted to avoid another swing from her executioner. She collided with the solid chest of another Skrull who was standing with a dozen others around the perimeter. He blinked once in confusion, unprepared to face a girl that had somehow broken out of the black out.

Another whistle of the sword and she ducked beneath the fumbling arms of the Skrull. A stone head fell to the ground, breaking into a thousand pieces of gravel. Straightening, Alison swallowed hard and felt her own neck. If a sword could cut through stone so easily as that, then she barely had a chance. She turned and searched for the Doctor. He was still being guarded by the Blue Man and one with white paint, but he was stealthily reaching for his sonic screwdriver in the White Paint's belt.

"Doctor," she began, but he cut her off with his fiery gaze.

"Just run." he commanded.

He did not have to tell her twice, the oversized brute that was wielding the sword crashing towards her with a battle cry. Ducking and spinning, she tried to find an exit, but they were all covered by the aliens. All of them except for one. On the other side, protected by a single Skrull much smaller than the others, was a ladder leading...Alison looked up and saw the floors of a spiral balcony leading straight towards the ship's roof.

She didn't think, she ran headlong towards the ladder, dodging the swinging sword. The executioner stumbled and righted himself, spinning on his stone feet and jabbing like a trained fencer. In a blind rage he caught the crook of the smaller Skrull's arm and his sword stuck as the granite creature thrashed with a yell of agony. The ladder was cleared and she jumped to latch onto the highest rung, clambering up in a burst of adrenaline.

Reaching the balcony, Alison followed it up three spirals, her boots echoing against the grating. Behind her the balcony vibrated with the pursuit of the aliens and their ugly words chased her further. At last she made it to the top and came across a rack of the time devices and a hatch to the roof.

Gasping for breath, she paused and leaned over to peer down the spiral to see if the Doctor was following. No, he was standing in the centre of the room, unafraid as he glared at the Skrull leader. He didn't look up to see her, having figured she was already gone.

"If you mean to stop us, Doctor," began Red Man, but the Time Lord shook his head.

"No, no I don't mean to stop you." he said, his voice so low she could barely hear him. "I mean to go away for a very long time...It has been an age since this world has proved that it is worth my time."

Alison's world stopped and suddenly the impending threat of the aliens vanished. Only the Doctor remained in his little circle of light, a gaunt shell of a man who had given up. His words turned her heart and for the first time she doubted him. She doubted the Doctor. He had turned his back on them.

Then the Skrull were upon her and she was forced to flee. She grabbed one of the time pieces and punched her fist against the hatch, popping it open. Clambering out of the oval exit, she stood on the curving roof of the ship, a harsh wind whipping around her. Washington DC was spread out before her, dark storm clouds gathering above and casting the city in shadows. There was no other hatch to run to, no other way to escape except the device in her hands. A device that she had no idea how to operate.

What was she thinking coming up here? The answer was that she wasn't thinking, she was just running and she had run into a dead end.

The Skrull were at the hatch now and she had nothing left to do except run to the very edge of the roof. Lasers were fired towards her back, gauging out holes in the metal and leaving jagged scorch marks. She zigzagged, struggling to keep her feet over the steady dip of the circular roof. Soon she had gone as far as possible and turned to face the creatures. This was it. This was where it ended for her, for the Doctor she thought would save them, and for Earth. The vision of the destroyed and conquered world she had seen would come true.

A concentrated laser clipped her left hip and she was sent spinning off the side of the ship. The ground rushed up to meet her, rushing air filling her lungs and preventing her from screaming. She clutched the time piece to her chest as a few hundred feet was all that was left between her and impact. Shutting her eyes, she braced for the inevitable, wishing that this day was only a dream and that she was back on Independence Ave. starting her run.

A crackle like electricity was emitted around her and she felt the heated fingers of pure energy lace up her chest, encompassing her. The rush of wind stilled immediately and she opened her eyes, rolling onto her back with a strangled gasp.

Trees hung above her and rain was just beginning to come down. Sitting up, she found herself on the grassy median of a road with the Independence Ave. sign standing just a few feet away.


End file.
